Two-goal hero Maddison should be in World Cup, says Rodgers

LONDON - Brendan Rodgers said that Leicester City have turned the corner, after James Maddison inspired a 4-0 rout of Nottingham Forest that eased the pressure on the Foxes boss and pushed their rivals down to the bottom of the Premier League on Monday.

Rodgers' side blew Forest away with three goals within just 10 minutes in the first half at the King Power Stadium.

Maddison struck either side of a superb finish from Harvey Barnes and Patson Daka scored in the second half, as Leicester finally won for the first time after eight games this season.

"When you don't win games it comes on to you. We had a horrendous summer, that's the reality of it and that continued into the start of the season," Rodgers said.

"I just had to remind the players of their ability and continue to support them. They have bags of resilience. We just needed to turn that corner and we did that."

He also praised Maddison, saying that the midfielder should be in England's World Cup squad.

He has been overlooked by manager Gareth Southgate since his one appearance as a second-half substitute against Montenegro in a Euro 2020 qualifier in 2019.

The Foxes had lost their previous six games to leave Rodgers fighting to avoid the sack, following his criticism of the club's Thai owners for failing to back him in the summer transfer window.

Winning the East Midlands derby should give the Northern Irishman at least a little breathing space, with Leicester moving one place above rock-bottom Forest - both have four points - on goal difference. In the directors' box, Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha wore a broad grin that suggested Rodgers had earned a few days of respite.

Woeful Forest are now without a win in six games, losing five in a row and conceding 16 goals in their last four matches.

That dismal run has turned up the heat on their manager Steve Cooper, who took charge when Forest were bottom of the Championship last season and led them back to the Premier League for the first time since 1999.

It would be incredibly harsh on Cooper to sack him so soon after winning promotion, but Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis would have hoped for better results after sanctioning a hefty investment in 21 new players in the close-season.

"It is another disappointing result. We came with a plan and we were nowhere near good enough in the duels," Cooper said.

"We could have been more competitive, but I'm not looking at these lads and thinking they don't care. They are just a really fresh group trying to come together."

AFP, REUTERS